Virtual Light. Idoru. All Tomorrow's Parties

William Gibson became famous for the trilogy «Cyberpunk» («Neuromancer», «Count Zero», «Mona Lisa Overdrive»), which became the cornerstone of cyberpunk and defined the face of modern literature for decades to come. But very quickly, the genre revolutionary found the limits of any genre too cramped - and following the steampunk epic «The Difference Engine» in collaboration with Bruce Sterling came the «Bridge Trilogy» («Virtual Light», «Idoru», «All Tomorrow's Parties»), set in a sort of alternative present, and the plot of a thriller, the futuristic backdrop, and the virtuoso sparseness of stylistic devices create an explosive but inevitably captivating cocktail. Here, a powerful earthquake has split California into North and South, and the infamous Bridge has become a symbol of this division. Here, unlucky police officer Rydell and bicycle courier Chevette-Marie are brought together by chance and try to survive in a hunt set on them by the owners of ultra-important information, stored in the sunglasses of the «virtual light» system. Here, Tokyo is redeveloped with nanotechnology skyscrapers, a nightclub inspired by Franz Kafka enjoys success, and the fan community has been buzzing with rumors that a rock star named Rez is about to marry a virtual star, actress, and singer Ray Towe. Here, the world's best killer leaves no trace on the World Wide Web, and a secret master of the world thinks he is following his trail…